Material handling railroad freightcar-mounted gantry and crane with toppling prevention and supplemental support upon derailment

Abstract

A gantry adapted for operation along rails attached to the top of a railroad car includes two pairs of wheels, each pair operating on a respective rail. A base support member is positioned above the rail and between the wheels on each side of the gantry. Should one end of the gantry be inadvertently driven off of the rails, the base support members engage the rails to prevent the gantry from toppling off of the railroad car. In addition, a safety rail is positioned inside of and above each rail and a plurality of J-hooks are attached to the inside of each base support member to engage the safety rails and prevent the gantry from tipping from side-to-side. All four wheels are independently driven and the gantry is adapted to support a commercially available crane, the position of which can be vertically adjusted via spacers. A number of other safety features are included.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
       1. A gantry apparatus adapted for movement along a pair of rails, comprising: (a) a pair of wheels on each side of the gantry, each pair of said wheels being sized and spaced to operate on a respective one of said rails; and   (b) a pair of base support means positioned between respective wheels on each side of the gantry and suspended above the corresponding rail, each said base support means being positioned to drop into contact with said corresponding rail to support the gantry should the wheels on either end be driven off of the end of the rails.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein: (a) said rails are positioned on a railroad car.   
     
     
       3. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said railroad car further comprises: (a) at least one safety rail means positioned inside of said rails, said safety rail being attached to and extending downward from a support, leaving a space between the rail and the support; and   (b) said gantry comprises a J-hook extending around the bottom of the safety rail with an end portion of the J-hook extending upward into said space, said J-hook being adapted to engage said safety rail when said gantry tips from side to side to prevent the gantry from toppling.   
     
     
       4. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein: (a) there are two of said safety rails, one positioned inside and above each of said rails; and   (b) there are at least two of said J-hooks, one attached to each of said base support means.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein: (a) said gantry is adapted to support a crane.   
     
     
       6. An apparatus as in claim 5, wherein: (a) said gantry includes a plurality of vertically oriented supports, each of which terminates in a flange which is adapted to mate with a similar flange on said crane; and   (b) said crane is adjustable vertically by adding or removing spacers between said flanges.   
     
     
       7. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein: (a) each of said wheels includes an independent driving means.   
     
     
       8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein: (a) each of said driving means is positioned adjacent the associated wheel, with each drive means comprising a motor, a motor sprocket, a wheel sprocket on the associated wheel, and a drive chain connecting said sprockets.   
     
     
       9. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein: (a) each of said wheels includes an independent braking means.   
     
     
       10. A gantry apparatus adapted for movement along a pair of rails positioned on a railroad car, said railroad car also including at least one safety rail, said safety rail being attached to and extending downward from a support, leaving a space between the rail and the support positioned inside of said rails, the apparatus comprising: (a) a pair of wheels on each side of the gantry, each pair of said wheels being sized and spaced to operate on a respective one of said rails; and   (b) a J-hook means connected to said gantry, said J-hook extending around the bottom of the safety rail with an end portion of the J-hook extending upward into said space, said J-hook being adapted to engage said safety rail when said gantry tips from side to side to prevent the gantry from toppling.   
     
     
       11. A gantry apparatus adapted for movement along a pair of rails positioned on a railroad car, said car also including at least one safety rail means positioned inside of said rails, the apparatus comprising: (a) a pair of wheels on each side of the gantry, each pair of said wheels being sized and spaced to operate on a respective one of said rails, with each of said wheels being independently drivable;   (b) a pair of base support means positioned between respective wheels on each side of the gantry and suspended above the corresponding rail, each said base support means being positioned to drop into contact with said corresponding rail to support the gantry should the wheels on either end be driven off of the end of the rails;   (c) a J-hook which is adapted to engage said safety rail to prevent the gantry from toppling side-to-side; and   (d) a plurality of vertically oriented supports, each of which terminates in a flange which is adapted to mate with a similar flange on a crane.   
     
     
       12. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein: (a) there are two of said safety rails, one positioned inside and above each of said rails; and   (b) there are at least two of said J-hooks, one attached to the inside of each of said base support means.   
     
     
       13. A method of preventing a gantry operating on pair of rails from toppling side-to-side, said method including the steps of: (a) positioning a safety rail inside of at least one of said rails, said safety rail being attached to and extending downward from a support, leaving a space between the rail and the support; and   (b) attaching a J-hook to said gantry in a position wherein said J-hook extends around the bottom of the safety rail with an end portion of the J-hook extending upward into said space, said J-hook being adapted to engage said safety rail when said gantry tips from side-to-side to prevent the gantry from toppling.   
     
     
       14. A method of preventing a gantry equipped with two pair of wheels operating on a short pair of rails from falling off of either end of the rails, said method including the step of: (a) placing a pair of base support members suspended above respective ones of said rails and between respective wheels on either side of the gantry, each said base support means being positioned to drop into contact with said respective rail to support the gantry should the wheels on either end be driven off of the end of the rails.